This project will develop demographic and population data from existing databases, including state creel surveys, annual sampling efforts, and state Natural Heritage programs for a suite of species (aquatic, terrestrial, pollinator) that inhabit the sagebrush-steppe and grassland ecosystem. Collecting this information is a vital first step toward understanding these species response to climate change, including changes in water quality/quantity, flooding recurrence, and persistence of instream and riparian habitats in sagebrush and grassland systems over time. Support for this foundational work will enable the FWSIR5/7 Sagebrush Ecosystem Team to develop population models and associated threat-based models to inform conservation design and delivery efforts for aquatic, terrestrial, and pollinator species and will expand our SHC paradigm beyond terrestrial/avian species, thus broadening partnership opportunities across the range. The $65,000 SA investment supports conservation priorities for the Sagebrush Ecosystem.
